Monday, April 30, 2007

Ward Parkway shooting follow-up

Updates from the press conference: Shooter is a former employee at the Target store who'd been turned down for a private security license. Police say he had a plan to cause havoc at the store.

Chief Corwin gives credit to the officers who responded, including the one who was shot at the gas station on Bannister Road, for helping stop the violence before it got worse. The injured officer actually returned fire using the same arm where he was hit.

ID of Victims: Leslie N. Ballew, 33, of Kansas City and Luke A. Nilges, 30, of Shawnee
were parked on either side of the shooter's car at Ward Parkway.
Patricia Reed, 67, was his neighbor. More info here, with updates to
come.

But yet again, the question remains the same: Do you have a right to feel safe in a world/city filled with so much suffering? Your
mileage may vary but I've already made note of the many murders in this
town that went overlooked because they didn't hit the white community
where they live.

And always, always it strikes me as funny that
so many Plaza protesters carry signs for peace and/or justice (ugh)
when that concept doesn't really exist merely a few blocks to the East
no matter what the outcome of the hopeless cause they're fighting for
on the other side of the planet.

3 people dead in a mall shooting
won't come close to the inevitable death toll this City will rack up
when it comes to young, Black males this summer but that issue didn't
even merit more than passing mention during the last mayoral election .
. . Truly, more people were interested in potholes or TIFs (especially
most of the worthless local political bloggers) rather than anything
having to do with what is tantamount to a yearly killing spree in
Kansas City.

Comments

Updates from the press conference: Shooter is a former employee at the Target store who'd been turned down for a private security license. Police say he had a plan to cause havoc at the store.

Chief Corwin gives credit to the officers who responded, including the one who was shot at the gas station on Bannister Road, for helping stop the violence before it got worse. The injured officer actually returned fire using the same arm where he was hit.

ID of Victims: Leslie N. Ballew, 33, of Kansas City and Luke A. Nilges, 30, of Shawnee
were parked on either side of the shooter's car at Ward Parkway.
Patricia Reed, 67, was his neighbor. More info here, with updates to
come.

But yet again, the question remains the same: Do you have a right to feel safe in a world/city filled with so much suffering? Your
mileage may vary but I've already made note of the many murders in this
town that went overlooked because they didn't hit the white community
where they live.

And always, always it strikes me as funny that
so many Plaza protesters carry signs for peace and/or justice (ugh)
when that concept doesn't really exist merely a few blocks to the East
no matter what the outcome of the hopeless cause they're fighting for
on the other side of the planet.

3 people dead in a mall shooting
won't come close to the inevitable death toll this City will rack up
when it comes to young, Black males this summer but that issue didn't
even merit more than passing mention during the last mayoral election .
. . Truly, more people were interested in potholes or TIFs (especially
most of the worthless local political bloggers) rather than anything
having to do with what is tantamount to a yearly killing spree in
Kansas City.